Improved seal for jars and cans



H. S. FISHER.

Fruit Can.

Witnesses= gw fl All. PHOT0-L\THO.CO. NX. KQSBORNE'S PROCESS]! Patented 0m. 23, 1866.

Inventor,

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

HENRY S. FISHER, ()F OAKVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVED SEAL FOR JARS AND CANS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent NO. 58,995, dated October 23, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY S. FISHER, of Oakville, in the county of Cumberland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Seal for Jars and Guns; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompany drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figures 1, 2, 3, and 4 show the cemented paper and the rubber sealing-rings. Figs. 5 and 6 show the improved seal applied to the tops of two cans.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to a new and improved seal, which is particularly designed for hermetically closing the openings of cans, jars, and other vessels for containing fruit and other articles which it is desired to preserve air-tigl'1t.

The object of my invention is to combine a yielding or elastic substance, which will aeconnnodate itself to uneven surfaces when subjected to pressure,with an adhesive substance which will effectually close and render airtight the joints between the top surfaces of cans and the covers thereof.

I am aware that preserve cans and jars have been scaled by means of a cement applied to paper rings, which were interposed between the tops and the covers of cans and jars. This will be found in my patent of November 12, 1861. 4

I am also aware that it is not new to use india-rubber rings for sealing cans, and therefore I do not wish to be understood as laying claim to these plans separately considered.

To enable others skilled in the art to under stand my invention, 1 will describe its construction and operation.

I take paper or other soft fibrous material and saturate it thoroughly in a composition which may be made of bees-wax and rosin, or any other composition which may be found to answer the purpose. I prefer to use the beeswax and rosin, as it leaves a thick adhesive coating upon the paper, and is easily softened by moderate heat. The paper or other fibrous substance is cut into rings a a, of any suitable size, according to the size of the openings in the cans or jars to which these rings are to be applied. I now take rings b, of india'rubber or other equivalent substance, and apply to both sides of these rings the adhesive rings a a, which may be readily done by slightly warming the latter.

If desirable, the seals thus produced may be dipped in a warm solution of bees-wax and rosin, so as to thoroughly cover them with the cement, after which they are ready for use.

In Figs. 5 and6 I have represented sectional views of sheet-metal cans, and shown how the covers A are forced down upon the seals, so as to make the joints between the covers and tops of the cans perfectly air-tight.

I do not confine my invention to any particular mode of fastening the covers on cans and jars, as this may be done in variou ways.

The rings are self-sealing, or self-adhesive, and require only a moderate degree of heat to make them soft and yielding.

The improved seals are not only useful for making metallic vessels or cans air-tight, but they are also very useful for sealing the covers of glass or earthen jars, as the india-rubber which is interposed between the two adhesive paper rings will accommodate itself to inequalities ot' the surfaces between which the seals are confined.

It has been found that india-rubber alone will not make a. perfect joint between the top of a can and its cover, particularly where the surfaces of spell parts are uneven, nor will adhesive paper rings answer the purpose ver well; but by combining the two things the advantages of both are obtained.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A seal for preserve jars, cans, and other vessels, which is composed of indie-rubber, or other equivalent substance, lined or covered with a substance which is saturated with an adhesive cement, substantially as described.

J osnrn SMITH, W. A. ALBERT. 

